the lake house STORY

Our

STORY

Located on the edge of the beautiful and serene Lake Hood, The Lake House Restaurant, Bar and Venue is beautifully positioned to cater to your dining and entertaining pleasure.
Our food and drink menus compliment the fantastic location and we use local produce where ever we can. We are lucky to be able to have close at hand some of the best food and beverage produce in New Zealand. Try our divine cheese from local cheese factory Talbot Cheeses, Southern Alps bred Salmon, Canterbury Lamb, bread from our local bakery baked fresh daily, Waitoa Free Range Chicken and local bred Wakanui steaks.

A separate bar area inside and a large alfresco deck overlooking the lake and the alps is perfectly suited to those looking for a more casual lunch, coffee and cake or a perfect spot to watch the sun go down while having a craft beer or a fruity local wine with a heavenly platter.
Or inside have a candlelit dinner or group function in our beautiful restaurant

The Lake House and Lake Hood

Lake Hood and the Ashburton Aquatic Park is an extraordinary community project.

Brought together by the efforts of a group of visionary local people, Lake Hood was initially designed to provide an aquatic recreational resource for the people of mid-Canterbury. The volunteers task was to raise the capital to create a non tidal, 80 hectare expanse of clean, safe water, an eight lane international standard rowing course, a separate international standard water skiing course, together with several kilometers of canals and a residential sub-division. After 15 years in voluntary work, 32 resource consents, extensive planning and development, the 173 hectare park was officially opened in 2002, becoming a key asset for the people of the region.

In their continued drive to develop Lake Hood a decision was made to build a restaurant on the shore of the lake. This was to provide a fantastic venue for those who lived locally but also a great spot for those wanting a destination for the day. In November 2007 The Lake House Restaurant and Bar was opened.

What Next

The next stage of the park’s development – the Lake Hood Extension Project – will add more than 1,100 additional acres to the reserve. In particular, the lake’s area will be doubled, with planned beaches, canals and islands; dedicated water-sports areas; walking and riding trails and public promenades; complementing a new precinct of vineyards, farm-markets, parklands, and access to the historic Riversdale Homestead.

The trustees named the lake after a prominent local businessman – Doug Hood – in recognition of the community contributions made by Doug during his life in the mid-Canterbury area.